New Kensington, known locally as New Ken, is a city in
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Westmoreland County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 364,663. The county seat is Greensburg. Formed from, successively, Lancaster, Northumberland, and later Bedford co ...
. It is situated along the
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River ( ) is a long headwater stream of the Ohio River in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York. The Allegheny River runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border northwesterly into ...
, northeast of
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
. The population was 12,170 at the
2010 census.
History
Like much of Westmoreland County and surrounding areas, the region was a hunting ground for Native Americans of the
Six Nations. European-American settlement began in the mid-1700s. Continental army troops built Fort Crawford, near the mouth of
Pucketa Creek
Pucketa Creek is a tributary of the Allegheny River located in both Allegheny and Westmoreland counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Course
Pucketa Creek joins the Allegheny River where the creek forms the boundary between both the city o ...
, in 1777. The fort was abandoned in 1793.
Originally part of Burrell (and later Lower Burrell) Township, the city of New Kensington was founded in 1891. In 1890, the Burrell Improvement Company considered the advantages of the level land south of its home in
Lower Burrell
Lower Burrell is a city in Westmoreland County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located approximately 18 miles northeast of downtown Pittsburgh, it is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 11,761 at the 2010 census. The po ...
, and deemed it a prime location for a city and named the area "Kensington"; this was later changed to "New Kensington" for postal reasons, to avoid confusion with the
Philadelphia neighborhood of the same name. In an attempt to make New Kensington comparable to Pittsburgh, the streets were named with numbers. Avenues ran parallel to the river, while streets were perpendicular. The main commercial streets were 4th and 5th avenues.
Once the land was surveyed, a public sale was held on June 10, 1891. Thousands of people flooded the area and investors began bringing industry with them. The first large company was the Pittsburgh Reduction Company, which later became
Alcoa
Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for Aluminum Company of America) is a Pittsburgh-based industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primary ...
. They acquired a property that allowed the company to utilize the riverfront. The Alcoa facility remained operational until 1971.
Eventually, other companies such as Adams Drilling, Goldsmith and Lowerburg, New Kensington Milling, New Kensington Brewing, Logan Lumber, Keystone Dairy, and many more were built late in the 19th century and continuing into the early 20th century. Early achievements included a railroad station, the 9th Street bridge, a passenger boat that navigated the Allegheny River, a street car line that ran to
Natrona via the
West Penn Railways
West Penn Railways, one part of the West Penn System, was an interurban electric railway headquartered in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. It was part of the region's power generation utility.
History
West Penn Railways consisted of of electric trol ...
, the ''Kensington Dispatch'' newspaper, a fire department, hotel, opera house, and a local chapter of the
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
. New Kensington annexed the independent borough of Parnassus in 1939.
In 1941, New Kensington became the site of a modern workers' housing project—named the
Aluminum City Terrace
Aluminum City Terrace (also referred to as ACT) is a housing development located in New Kensington, near Pittsburgh. Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer designed the complex during their relatively short period as collaborative partners after recei ...
—designed by
Marcel Breuer
Marcel Lajos Breuer ( ; 21 May 1902 – 1 July 1981), was a Hungarian-born modernist architect and furniture designer.
At the Bauhaus he designed the Wassily Chair and the Cesca Chair, which ''The New York Times'' have called some of the most im ...
and
Walter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969) was a German-American architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in conne ...
, which set new standards for federal housing design. Breuer and Gropius ascribed to the famous
Bauhaus
The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...
School of Design in Germany. Intended for Alcoa defense workers, it was subsequently used to rehouse displaced residents from other parts of the city. In 1948, tenants from the Terrace decided to purchase the housing project from the U.S. government to form a co-op, managed by a Board of Directors, elected by representatives from the 250 units. Relatively low-cost monthly fees continue to cover the costs of running the Terrace.
Today, New Kensington contains the neighborhoods of Parnassus, Mount Vernon, Valley Heights, Valley Camp, Pine Manor, and 40 Acres.
The
New Kensington Downtown Historic District
The New Kensington Downtown Historic District, also known as the New Kensington Commercial and Residential Historic District, is a national historic district that is located in New Kensington, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
It was added to t ...
,
New Kensington Production Works Historic District
The New Kensington Production Works Historic District, also known as the New Kensington Works and Arnold Works, is a national historic district that is located in New Kensington, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
It was added to the National Re ...
, and
Mount St. Peter Roman Catholic Church are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
Climate
New Kensington has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(Köppen ''Dfa'') climate, with cold, snowy winters, and warm to hot summers.
Demographics
As of the 2000 census,
there were 14,701 people, 6,519 households, and 3,963 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 3,703.9 people per square mile (1,429.7/km
2). There were 7,309 housing units at an average density of 1,841.5 per square mile (710.8/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.85%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 9.84%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.12%
Native American, 0.23%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.37% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.58% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.72% of the population.
There were 6,519 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,505, and the median income for a family was $37,952. Males had a median income of $32,692 versus $21,683 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $16,152. About 8.5% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Infrastructure and organizations
![Parnassus PA Presby PHS445](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Parnassus_PA_Presby_PHS445.jpg)
New Kensington maintains its own public works, fire department, police force, emergency rescue team, and water authority. Recreational facilities operated by the city include Memorial and Masa Harbison parks. People's Library of New Kensington offers
public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants.
There are ...
services. Public transportation is provided by the
Port Authority of Allegheny County
Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT, formerly Port Authority of Allegheny County) is the second-largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania and the 20th-largest in the United States. The state-funded agency is based in Pittsburgh and is overseen ...
and
Westmoreland County Transit Authority
The Westmoreland County Transit Authority (WCTA) is the operator of mass transportation in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Using 35 buses, a total of 18 routes are operated, the majority of which serve the urbanized corridor that makes up the ...
. The Westmoreland County Housing Authority administers the Kensington Manor, East Ken Manor, and Valley Manor
public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, def ...
projects within the city limits.
There are over thirty churches representing several denominations throughout the city.
Two radio stations,
WMNY
WMNY (1150 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to New Kensington, Pennsylvania and serving the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. It is owned by Gagan Deep, through licensee Radio 1150 Limited Liability Company. It airs a South Asian r ...
and
WBZZ
WBZZ (100.7 FM, "100.7 Star") is a top 40/CHR station licensed to New Kensington, Pennsylvania, targeting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and owned by Audacy, Inc. Its transmitter is located in Pittsburgh's Spring Hill district and its studios ...
, are both licensed to New Kensington, and serve the Pittsburgh radio media market.
Since the 1970s, the city's downtown has been plagued by high vacancy rates. Starting in 2008, the New Kensington Redevelopment Authority moved to condemn and demolish abandoned commercial and residential properties. The city has also instituted a Weed and Seed urban renewal program, and provided tax abatement to businesses located or opened in designated Keystone Opportunity Zones.
Education
The city is served by the
New Kensington–Arnold School District, with facilities at
Valley High School, Valley Middle School, H. D. Berkey Intermediate School; and Greenwald Memorial, Fort Crawford, and Martin elementary schools. Budget shortfalls forced the closure of Greenwald Memorial and Fort Crawford in 2015. Valley Middle School was renamed Roy A Hunt Elementary. Greenwald Memorial, sold by the school district to the Roman Catholic diocese of Greensburg, became the new location of St. Josephs School.
Parochial school
A parochial school is a private primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathematics and language arts. The ...
s include Mary Queen of Apostles and Harvest Baptist Academy (K–12). Former Catholic parochial schools, now consolidated, include: Mount St. Peter, St. Mary, and St. Joseph.
A branch campus of
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...
was established in New Kensington in 1958. Since 1966, it has been located in suburban
Upper Burrell Township, but retains the name ''Penn State New Kensington''. In 2008, a satellite campus of
Westmoreland County Community College
Westmoreland County Community College is a public community college in Youngwood, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1970 during an era of community college proliferation within the state. Its location on the suburban fringe was designed to attract ...
opened in downtown New Kensington.
In popular culture
New Kensington is featured in
P.O.D.
P.O.D., an initialism for Payable on Death, is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's line-up consists of drummer and rhythm guitarist Wuv Bernardo, vocalist Sonny Sandoval, bassist Traa ...
's "Youth of the Nation"
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
. The
PA Route 56 Arnold directional sign is visible as the car in the video travels eastbound over the 9th Street Bridge, also known as the
C.L. Schmitt Bridge.
The city was also one of the filming locations for the movie ''
Dogma
Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...
'', starring
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Volpi Cup.
Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educationa ...
and
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige Damon (; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North Americ ...
.
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Notable people
*
Eddie Adams – photographer
*
Anthony Breznican
Anthony Breznican (born 1976) is an American journalist and novelist who currently writes for '' Vanity Fair''. He is the author of the 2014 novel ''Brutal Youth'', about first-year students dealing with bullying at their Catholic high school. Br ...
– journalist and writer
*
Rachel Carson
Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist whose influential book ''Silent Spring'' (1962) and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental m ...
– environmentalist
*
Toney Clemons – professional football player
*
Ray DiPalma
Ray DiPalma (1943-2016) (born in New Kensington, PA in 1943) was an American poet and visual artist who published more than 40 collections of poetry, graphic work, and translations with various presses in the US and Europe. He was educated at Duq ...
– poet
*
Carmen Gentile
Carmen Gentile (born June 21, 1974) is an American journalist, author and public speaker who specializes in reporting on conflicts and the developing world. He is the author of the memoir ''Blindsided by the Taliban,'' a dark-humored retelling ...
– Journalist, Author, and Public Speaker
*
Corey Graves
Matthew Polinsky (born February 24, 1984) is an American wrestling color commentator and retired professional wrestler currently signed to WWE as a commentator and analyst for ''Raw'' and ''SmackDown'' under the ring name Corey Graves. He is a ...
– WWE commentator and former wrestler
*
Jeffrey A. Hart – academic
*
Stephanie Kwolek
Stephanie Louise Kwolek (; July 31, 1923 – June 18, 2014) was a Polish-American chemist who is known for inventing Kevlar. Her career at the DuPont company spanned more than 40 years. She discovered the first of a family of synthetic fibers of ...
– inventor
*
Lenita Lane
Lenita Mary Lane (December 16, 1901 – March 15, 1995) was an American stage and film actress. She appeared in several Broadway plays before turning to movies. Her more than two dozen movie appearances include ''The Mad Magician'' (1954) ...
– stage and film actress (1901-1995)
*
William Thomas McKinley
William Thomas McKinley (December 9, 1938 – February 3, 2015) was an American composer and jazz pianist born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania). He wrote more than 300 musical compositions in what he called a neo-tonal style, of which Margalit Fo ...
– composer
*
Greg Meisner
Gregory Paul Meisner (born April 23, 1959) is a former American football defensive lineman and current high school athletics director. From 1981 to 1991, Meisner played for the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants of the Nati ...
– University of Pittsburgh; LA Rams (1982–91); Kansas City Chiefs (1992–93)
*
Louie Pessolano – Villanova University; Staten Island Stapletons (1929–30)
*
Fannie Sellins
Fannie Sellins (1872 – August 26, 1919) was an American union organizer.
Born Fanny Mooney in New Orleans, Louisiana, she married Charles Sellins in St. Louis, Missouri. After his death she worked in a garment factory to support her four c ...
– Trade Union and Workers' Rights Leader (Funeral)
*
Sam Tamburo – NFL player
*
Willie Thrower
Willie Lee Thrower (March 22, 1930 – February 20, 2002) was an American football quarterback. Born near Pittsburgh in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Thrower was known as "Mitts" because of his large hands and arm strength, which stood in contras ...
– Michigan State University; Chicago Bears (1953–54), first African American QB to be in the NFL since shunning of black players in 1928.
*
Charles Haskins Townsend
Charles Haskins Townsend (September 29, 1859 – January 28, 1944) was an American zoologist and naturalist who served as the director of the New York Aquarium, from 1902 to 1937.
Early life
The son of the Reverend Daniel W. Townsend and Elizabet ...
– zoologist
*
Joe Zaleski - football player and assistant coach in the CFL, Winnipeg and Edmonton
*
Andrea Velis
Andrea Velis (7 June 1932 – 4 October 1994) was an American operatic tenor who had a lengthy association with the Metropolitan Opera that spanned 33 seasons. Considered a highly skilled character actor, he excelled in supporting roles, often to g ...
– operatic tenor with the Metropolitan Opera (1961–94)
See also
*
List of crossings of the Allegheny River
This is a list of current bridges and other crossings of the Allegheny River starting from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it joins the Monongahela to form the Ohio River.
Crossings
Pennsylvania
New York
Pennsylvania
See also
*
* ...
*
Mount St. Peter Church
References
External links
*
*
*
{{authority control
Cities in Pennsylvania
Cities in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania